Baby Gadgets You DON'T Need

When my husband and I found out I was pregnant with our first child we were incredibly excited and couldn't have been happier. Our thoughts and talks immediately were filled with pregnancy and the coming baby: how big I was getting, what will our baby look like, will it be a boy or a girl, how to best take care of myself, what will the baby need.

Most of the thoughts were fun speculation or easily accomplished with the wisdom of our midwife. That last thought, what the baby will need, was one that caused little needles of worry and constant questioning. It was great fun to go into a store and register for all the sweet little baby items we fell in love with. It was something else altogether when we were faced with the reality of how little money we had to spend on all those items the store labels as "necessary" for the health and well-being of our child.

We were amazingly blessed and humbled by the outpouring of love and generosity of friends and family members. I had a small shower, hosted by a few of the moms in the youth group of the church we attended and where we often volunteered. We were given in abundance washcloths, towels, little outfits and onesies, a baby bathtub, a co-sleeper, health aids, baby soaps, and diaper wipes. We were also given a second-hand car seat, crib, playpen, stroller, sling, and we were loaned a bundle of small cloth diapers.

After our daughter was born, we quickly found out what we absolutely needed and what we didn't. Obviously, a car seat, clothing, some place for the baby to sleep, and diapers (cloth or disposable, though cloth has been found to be the most cost-effective) are essential. Everything else, we found, was largely superfluous.

Most people feel cribs, second to a car seat, are of utmost importance. Our daughter ended up sleeping mostly with us or in her co-sleeper, so the crib has been used more of a holding cell for toys and laundry than for sleeping. Other people have found a play pen to be much more convenient for sleeping, as well as for its intended use. While we found the play pen to be another non-essential, if there isn't a crib and co-sleeping is not an option, I think it would be a great money-saver because of its multiple uses. Also, the point that it can fold up and be put away, unlike a crib, is a great advantage to me.

The stroller we were given is for an older baby that can sit up and hold its head up. We decided to give the sling a try and it quickly became our favorite way of transporting our daughter. Even though she is now old enough for the stroller, the sling is much easier to manage and take with us, more comfortable, and our daughter enjoys seeing the world from our viewpoint, rather than looking at the ground and people's legs from the stroller viewpoint. There have been occasions when the stroller was useful, while shopping in a large mall and needing someplace to put large or bulky bags, for example. For that purpose, a cheap umbrella stroller would serve just as well as the costly, bulkier strollers marketed to new parents. Baby slings can be found at half the price of trendy strollers or can even be made at home for even less money.

We were also given a used bouncy seat and a swing. While neither is essential, I found them very helpful in the early months when I needed to take a shower or make dinner and couldn't use the sling. There are a variety of baby carriers available that make tasks such as those easy to do while carrying the baby. I only had the sling and couldn't maneuver it to make dinner comfortably with her in front of me. If I wasn't given the bouncy seat and the swing, I wouldn't have bought them and we would have survived beautifully without them.

Unless you live in a large or two-story house, or are Deaf and need a visual display, baby monitors are another non-essential. Our home is not tiny but we have discovered we are able to hear and keep watch over our sleeping baby quite well without the use of a monitor. If there is any sign of distress or our daughter wakes from her nap, I am able to hear her just as easily as if I had a baby monitor turned on and kept near me. Often I have found that if I don't hear her immediately when she wakes and don't go directly to her, she settles back down to sleep on her own and I don't need to go in and help her back to sleep.

Changing tables are arguable. A place to lay the baby and store diapers, wipes, etc. is definitely needed. An expensive piece of furniture that does not serve a purpose past potty-training is not. We keep all our diaper changing paraphernalia in a small, plastic three-drawer rolling cart next to the dresser in our bedroom. When it is diaper changing time we pull out the mat, lay it and our daughter down on top of the dresser, and change her easily. Other solutions could be to change on the bed, on the floor, on a table, or even in your lap if space is so limited.

Diaper bags are another arguably non-essential item. I have found that I like them for the space and pockets they usually feature. A large tote-bag or a backpack could work just as well. If you are not the type to carry a purse or handbag and keep fairly streamlined, a messenger bag can work, too, with just a couple extra diapers, some wipes, and a change of clothes.

Because we use cloth diapers, I don't have any use for a Diaper Genie or other special type of garbage can for disposable diapers. For our diapers, when they are wet or dirty, we put them in a clean re-purposed cat litter bin and every other day we wash the diapers and the bin. A similar set-up could be used for disposable diapers with a liner. The lid is air-tight so no stinky smells escape and it's reusable after a cleaning. I would recommend emptying it out daily rather than every other day because disposable diapers tend to smell more.

Another diaper gadget we've found useless is the diaper wipe warmer. Out of an abundance of flannel receiving blankets, I cut a few up into small squares and sewed them for double thickness. We use those, wet with warm water, as wipes instead of the expensive and chemical-laden wipes from the store.

Breastfeeding is free and the healthiest thing you can provide for your baby. Though it is tough the first few days, or even weeks, a comfortable routine can be quickly established and both mama and baby will benefit from nursing. If, for some reason, breastfeeding is impossible, there are many different things available for new mamas to use. Because I breastfed exclusively until my daughter was 10 months and never pumped or used bottles, I do not know enough on the subject to advise other people. I would caution bottle-using mamas to find bottles that contain no BPA or other harmful plastics.

There are many, many things on the market for babies and the stores and companies do an excellent job of convincing new mamas and daddies of their absolute need and usefulness. Some parents may find them to be quite useful and worth the cost. However, if you're expecting your baby with anxiety over how you are to pay for all the gadgets and gizmos you think you won't be able to live without, know that parents for centuries were able to survive and raise happy and successful children without a bouncy chair, Bumbo seat, or baby monitor. Your baby needs love, care, food, warmth, and a clean diaper. Everything else is just convenience.